Catching Fireflies
by forevergone123
Summary: Every day, young men are drafted into this horrible war... and most of them never come back. The War of the Islands will break everyone. Who will be coming home, and who will be yet another fallen soldier?
1. Chapter 1

_Catching fireflies: _

Author's note: I know I should probably be working on my other story, Broken, but I've been having some bad writer's block with that. And so, to get my creative juices flowing… I'm going to start up this story I thought of while doing state tests! Let me know what you think by leaving a review! :D

_Chapter 1: Saying Goodbye_

_Chelsea:_

The alarm clock buzzed loudly; echoing throughout the house. I tiredly looked over at the annoying thing, squinting due to the blazing green light of the numbers that read 6:00 a.m. Sighing, I slammed my hand on the snooze button, rose slowly out of the warm, soft blankets and ran my fingers through my hair. It's been three years since I moved to the islands, yet I'm not quite used to the early and long hours of being a farmer. Looking back on it, I was only sixteen when I ran away from home in the crowded city, and washed up on the shores of Sunshine Islands. Taro, the old man, and our mayor gave me the job that very day. I wasn't really looking for this job, but it all worked out. I love farming (even the early hours), and I love it here. I made friends with everyone… even fell in love. We got married only a few weeks ago. These three years I've been on this island has been the very best years of my life.

I groaned as I lifted the hot cup of coffee and sipped it slowly; my body was hurting from yesterdays work, it was the beginning of spring, the craziest time of the year. Still half asleep, I looked around the room. My eyes widened as I noticed my husbands things missing. His clothes weren't scattered around, his favorite books were gone from their usual spot on the table, and the most alarming was that his favorite picture of us, gone from his desk.

"No… it couldn't possibly…"

Running towards the calendar, I choked back the tears when I glanced at the date. No... It couldn't be the seventeenth already! I clenched my fist, not ready to believe that this was true, and I ran outside. Sure enough, he was there, his bags packed and ready to go. I shook my head no, letting the tears roll down my pale cheeks, and I ran towards him; hugging him tightly, not willing to let him go.

"Vaughn, please don't go! Don't let them take you away from me... We can run away... They won't find us! Please don't go!"

Vaughn smiled sadly and kissed the top of my head. "Chelsea, you know I have to go. There is nothing I want more than to stay here with you, but I'll be back before you know it."

"No! What if you never do come back," I cried into his shoulder.

"I will. I swear it," he whispered softly as he lifted my chin and kissed me gently on the lips.

We held each other for a long time… and I didn't want it to end. I'd be happy to just stay in his arms forever. This damn war was affecting everyone. Only a year ago, Castanet Island attacked and begun the War of the Islands. Vaughn had been drafted the day of our wedding…

Vaughn placed his bags down, deciding he would take the latest ferry that would take him into the city, where he would eventually board a plane to Castanet. It seems none of the islands have a chance… Castanet was bigger, wealthier, and had a massive army. All we had were farms, and hope. Soon, the Island council members decided we would start a draft. Everyday young men were being shipped off, ripped from their families…. And most of them never returned.

Before I knew it, the stars filled the sky and I was sitting with Vaughn, waiting for the ferry that would take him away. I listened closely to the waves, trying my best not to cry.

Vaughn smiled and gently caught a little firefly in his hands. He reached over, showed me the brilliant glowing light, and let it fly away.

"Just like old times huh?"

I almost giggled when I remembered that day… it seemed so long ago. Then I saw the ferry off in the distance. Holding my breath, I whimpered and bit my lip as tears filled my blue eyes. Vaughn saw, and I almost think he was about to cry as well. But just as soon as he looks close to tears, he smiles reassuringly.

"Don't worry Chels. I'll be back home before you know it."

I tried my best to ignore the horrible pain I felt in my chest. Vaughn moved in closer, and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I love you Vaughn."

"I love you too," he whispered.

Ten minutes later, the ferry arrived. Vaughn and I didn't say much, but he placed his favorite hat, the black cowboy hat he wore constantly, on over my red bandanna.

"I'll see you soon Chelsea."

And with that, he got on the boat, and I watched it disappear.

_Catching fireflies….._

_Vaughn:_

I closed my eyes as I made my way up the old boat, knowing if I were to look back, I'd run right to her. But I can't do that, so I clench my teeth together, shut my eyes, and try not to think about it. I love Chelsea with all my heart, and even today I still can't believe I got a girl like her.

For the past few weeks, I've tried to be a little less cold and strong for Chelsea, Mirabelle, and Julia… but to be honest all I wanted to do was hide; I'm afraid. Being drafted in this war is like getting the death sentence. I sat down on a small wooden bench, and looked out at the ocean. I could still see the island… although it was only a speck now. I sighed, wondering if I'd ever see the island again... ever see my family. A young man with blonde hair, and a backwards baseball cap smiled down at me, and sat down. I've seen this kid around before; I think his name was Mark…

"Hey," he muttered.

I turned lift my head up slightly in response.

"So, you got drafted too huh? Tough luck," he said as he scratched the back of his head. I ignored him, only giving him a cold glance when he tried talking to me again, so we both just sat silently; feeling the waves rock against the boat.

"Your name is Vaughn right," he finally asked quietly.

"Yeah… why?"

"You're the fellow who just got married two weeks ago to the farmer, Chelsea huh?"

My cheeks turned bright red, and my hands went up to tilt my hat to cover up my eyes, only to remember I left it back home with Chelsea.

"What's it to ya," I mumbled.

Mark laughed, and patted my back. "Oh nothing… It's just I think it's unfair. Newly weds should be together, not separated by war."

Mark got real quiet real fast, and his eyes grew sad. I felt bad for the kid; he's probably just as scared as I am.

"Do you have a girl back home?"

Mark nodded and pulled out a little watch, and when he opened it, there was a picture of a pale girl with jet black hair and large glasses. "Sabrina and I have been friends forever. A few days ago, I told her I loved her. We were going to get married this fall."

I gave Mark a little half smile, trying my best to reassure him everything was going to be all right. But it's hard to convince him of that, when I don't believe it myself.

"This war will be over soon, and we'll be back home with our families in a blink of an eye," I said with a shaky voice… We're almost in the city...

Mark looked down, a single tear making its way to the ground and he squeezed his watch tightly in his hands. "I'm scared."

I bit my lip. "So am I."

…

Well, I hope this chapter was ok! Remember… it's just something I came up with in the middle of class :3 the story gets waay better trust me!

-forevergone123


	2. Chapter 2

_Catching Fireflies_

_Chapter 2: The beginning _

A/N: I'm really having a lot of fun writing this, and I hope its just as much fun to read! Leave a review to let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions for the story!-forevergone123

_Chelsea: _

I didn't sleep at all the night he left. I just curled up on my side of the bed, and let the cool salty tears run down onto my pillow, leaving the soft cotton wet. I even found my arms looking for Vaughn, but of coarse he wasn't there. Around midnight, tiny raindrops began to fall gently on the roof, and I would watch as they would roll down the glass window by my bed. After hours of lying in the big empty bed, I got up and put my coat on and went outside. Dark clouds covered most of the sky, but the light from the moon shone brightly through them. Looking up, I could feel the cold rain hit my face like tiny needles. For some reason, being out here in the rain and listening to the quiet sounds of nature put me at peace. The pain I felt in my chest ever since Vaughn was drafted had finally left, and I felt stronger, as if I could take on the world.

By now I was completely soaked and my wet hair clung to my face, but I could care less. I looked over by the trees to see thousands of tiny little lightning bugs floating around gracefully. I was shocked that they would be out in the rain, and had to blink to make sure I wasn't just imagining it. But sure enough, the soft glow of the little bugs continued to buzz around the old trees. I smiled at the memory of catching fireflies with Vaughn…

"_Goddess, Chelsea you are so annoying! Why don't you just leave me alone," Vaughn said harshly as he pulled out a cigarette. I giggled at him and snatched the cigarette out of his mouth. _

"_Smoking is bad for you. And come on Vaughn, it'll be fun! Why don't you just come to Julia's party?"_

_Vaughn rolled his eyes and began to walk away, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him back gently. His cheeks turned pink, and he snatched his hand away._

"_Fine. I'll go, but you better be there… you're probably the only one I can stand on this shit hole of an island."_

_I smiled gently, reassuring him I'd be there. I then turned around to go back home to finish my chores, and get ready for Julia's big party. I ended up wearing a nice pair of jeans and a purple, lacy tank top. I was brushing my hair when I heard a small knock at the door. It was Vaughn, in something other than his usual cowboy attire… and without his hat! He looked so… handsome. _

"_Y-You ready to go, Chelsea?"_

"_Yup! Let's get goin', Vaughn… and might I say, you look very nice without your hat!"_

_Once again, Vaughn blushed and even tried to hide his face. _

"_You look very nice too…"_

_I grabbed Vaughn's hand, and we walked down to Mirabelle's house. I smiled to myself when neither one of us let go of each others hand. I had liked Vaughn as a friend, nothing more, but lately I had begun to feel something more for him. Vaughn stayed by my side the entire time, but he didn't say a word to anyone. I could tell he was pretty uncomfortable. Soon just about everyone was getting tipsy, and it seemed everyone was hooking up. Denny and Lana were making out, Julia and Elliot were flirting in the back, Natalie and Pierre were dancing to the music, and even Sabrina was messing around a bit with Mark. _

"_You wanna head over to my place for some milk and cookies, maybe a movie or something," I asked Vaughn quietly. _

"_Hell yeah, I don't think I can take any more romance crap in one place anymore."_

_We headed back to my ranch, but when we got there, I had realized I left my keys in my purse which was back at Mirabelle's. _

"_I'll go get it," Vaughn huffed_

"_No, we could just hang outside for a while, I mean look- the fireflies are out. We should go catch some."_

_Vaughn rolled his eyes. "That's silly… Only children go around chasing fireflies."_

"_Well, I guess that means I'm just a silly child," I giggled as I ran towards the glowing bugs. I had to jump up to catch them, but no matter how hard I tried they would always float up higher than I could reach. Vaughn was laughing his head off at me, when I had jumped up and then fell hard on my butt. _

"_Its not as easy as you think, ya know. Why don't you try catching one," I said playfully and lamely stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed, helped me up, and began chasing after the lightening bugs with me. Within his second try, he had caught one of the tiny bugs. _

"_That was pretty easy to me."_

_I rolled my eyes and tried again, and failed miserably. Vaughn shook his head, and took hold of both my hands. "Here, let me help you."_

_With both of our arms reaching out, and when one especially beautiful firefly came by, Vaughn slowly made my hands close around it and soon I could feel the bug bussing around in my hands. He let go of me, and I carefully drew my arms back, and opened my hands slightly to see the beautiful firefly. _

"_See, that was easy," He whispered in my ear. _

_I let the firefly go after a moment, and watched its brilliant light float away. We then laid down in the grass, looking up at the hundreds of fireflies and bright stars. _

_Vaughn sat up a bit, and even though it was dark out, I could tell he was blushing. He closed his eyes and leaned in, and kissed me softly on the lips. I was shocked for a second, but soon I found myself kissing him back. It was the end of our friendship, but the beginning of our relationship… _

_I'd never forget that day. _

It felt like that day was so long ago, but really it was only just a year ago when it happened. I sighed when the rain was beginning to stop, and the sun was coming over the horizon. Slowly, I walked back to the house. I knew I would be exhausted, and wouldn't be able to get any work done if I didn't get some rest. I took a quick shower, curled up on the couch and soon found myself in a deep sleep. I was only sleeping for an hour when I heard loud and desperate knocks at my door. I got up, and rubbed my eyes. Confused, I listened to the loud thuds at the door for a minute until I heard Lana's voice.

"Please open up Chelsea, we need your help!"

I shot up off the couch, and opened the door quickly to see Lana and Denny. They looked terrified, tired and they're eyes were red from crying.

"What's going on?"

Denny looked at me, and the horror in his eyes made my heart stop.

"They're after me, Chelsea. They drafted me… and I… I couldn't go… now there's a price on my head… they're going to execute me, please hide us!"

I pulled them inside, and locked the door as fast as possible. I didn't know what to do… if they found out I was hiding a draft dodger, they would kill me as well. The laws were harsh when it came to this war… But I had to do this. I gathered blankets, lanterns, food, and water and stuffed it all in a backpack. I grabbed both Lana and Denny, and pulled them out the back door, leading them to the barn where they could hide for a few days.

"Thank you Chelsea, thank you so much," Lana whimpered.

I nodded my head slowly… I couldn't help but feel angry towards them. How come Vaughn had to go and Denny could just run from it? Lana got to keep her husband, but I didn't? It all seemed unfair. But I know why they did it… and I begged Vaughn to do the same. After finishing my farm work for the day, I went back to the house, feeling a bit nauseous. I ran towards the bathroom, and threw up what little food I had that day. It must be my nerves…

After cleaning myself up, I heard some more banging on the door. I slowly walked towards the door, careful not to make a sound.

"Open up! Island Council Police!"

I held my breath, and I began to panic. They're looking for Denny and Lana… I ran towards the backdoor, and quietly slipped through without them noticing. I came into the barn, scared for my life- and theirs.

"You guys have to run, they're here! They'll find you… go through the back and run into the rice fields run, and there will be a boat at the end of the fields take it and don't look back!"

Denny and Lana nodded and made their way to the back… just then I could hear the Council Police running up… even the sounds of dogs barking. I made it out of the barn and watched Denny and Lana run towards the forest. _Damn it… I told them to go to the rice fields! The forest is just a dead end! _

The police soon spotted them, and I could only watch helplessly as they chased them down.

They tackled Denny down, and pulled Lana away harshly and held her arms tightly behind her back. Each officer took turns punching and kicking Denny, and forced Lana to watch. Lana screamed for them to stop, kicked, thrashed, but nothing would make them let her go. I fell to the ground, feeling helpless and scared… two dear friends are going to prison or worse right in front of me.

They pulled Denny, bloody and broken, up and tied him up to a tree. Three officers stepped back and pulled out they're guns… they were going to execute him right there!

"Please, stop this! Don't kill him, please he'll go to Castanet, just please don't hurt him," Lana cried out.

It felt as if my blood was going to boil… anger filled my heart and I picked myself up and ran towards them. But before I could reach them, they shot Denny. Blood trickled down from his chest, and his lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

The officers laughed and pushed Lana to the ground. When they saw me they knew I was the one hiding Denny and Lana. As they walked by they pushed me down, kicked and spit on me. And then they left. Just left us they're on the ground. I got up, shaking and coughing up blood. My ribs felt like they were on fire… it was the worst pain I had ever felt. But I still managed to get up and make my way towards Lana. She was badly hurt… her ankle was twisted in a way that was sickening, and her face was scratched and bloody. But she didn't care. She limped towards Denny's cold, dead body, holding him close to her and began to cry. She screamed out painfully. I could only watch sadly as Lana desperately tried to wake him up.

I sat there for hours as Lana cried next to Denny. The sun was going down, and soon it would be getting cold. Lana had stopped crying, but she continued to hold Denny. She was covered in his and her blood.

"Lana… we have to get help. You're hurt… And Denny's dead," I whispered.

She glared at me. "No! He's not dead… he's just resting… he… he works so hard," she smiled.

Tears rolled down Lana's cheeks, and she reached into Denny's pocket.

"Denny loves me so much. He works so hard for me," she laughed as she pulled out his gun.

My eyes grew wide…. Lana was beginning to scare me.

"Lana, what are you doing with that gun?"

Shaking, she put the gun to her head.

I got up as fast as I could, "Lana, no!"

There was a loud bang, and I closed my eyes. I was to late… I heard her body hit the ground, and I slowly opened both eyes. It was a horrific scene… both of them lay dead together… warm blood made its way to me, covering my hands. I screamed. And I kept screaming out of pain, fear and frustration. Soon, Mirabelle had found me, and brought me back to the house. Mirabelle and Julia stayed with me that night. Mirabelle made us dinner, and Julia washed me up. They told me Chen and Elliot buried Lana and Denny by that tree. I didn't say anything… I don't think I could.

It had been two days after the incident… and I still was in bed, thinking of how it was all my fault. I looked up at the ceiling and began to sob, despite the fact I was still bruised and in a lot of pain.

"I'm so sorry… Lana… I'm so sorry Denny."

Then a sudden rush of nausea came through me, and I ran towards the bathroom and threw up. I sighed and flushed the toilet, and rested on the bathroom floor for a bit. I couldn't possibly be… shocked, I got up and called Julia. She came over as fast as she could with six bottles of water and twelve pregnancy tests she picked up at Chen's shop.

"Julia… I can't be pregnant… not now," I cried as we waited for the results.

"I know Chelsea, but maybe this will be a good thing. A baby will help you forget all that's happened," Julia said with a reassuring smile.

"No, Julia. I can't ever forget. And I can't bring a baby into this world, not how things are now."

Julia knew I was right. As much as I wanted to start my own family, a time of war is no time to have a baby. Julia walked back into the bathroom to grab the test….. She came back out and handed it to me.

Shaking, I looked at the test. My eyes began to sting, and then silently, tears rolled down my face. I'm having a baby.

…..

A/N: Well, I hope you liked this chapter; next one will be in Vaughn's P.O.V!


End file.
